ETZION BLOC

(Gush Etzion)

   A group of Jewish settlements in the hills of Judea between Jerusalem and Hebron taken by Jordan during the War of Independence (1948—49). The bloc included Kfar Etzion (the oldest of the settlements, founded in 1943), Massuot Yitzhak, Ein Tzurim, and Rvadim. After numerous attacks by the Jordanian Arab Legion and other Arabs, the Etzion Bloc fell on 14 May 1948. The area was recaptured by Israel during the Six-Day War (1967). Subsequently, settlements were reestablished in the area; many are considered hotbeds of Gush Emunim and other opponents of territorial compromise in negotiations with the Palestinians. The Etzion Bloc is generally considered a "consensus community" that will ultimately be incorporated by Israel in the context of a permanent peace agreement.

   See also Arab-Israeli Conflict.